Method for controlling sorting machines

Abstract

A control method for sorting machines including carriages (2), each carriage including a loading-unloading device (3) which can be selectively activated for loading-unloading an object (O) from the carriage and an electronic unit (4) configured to receive and analyse a digital signal (20), includes the steps of: moving the carriage along a sorting direction having a plurality of loading stations (9) and unloading stations (10) each including respective inductors (11); generating by means of the inductors a magnetic field with a variable frequency modulating the digital signal uniquely associated with an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes, the digital signal including a bit string; transmitting, by electromagnetic induction, the digital signal to the electronic unit of the carriage; and activating the loading-unloading device according to operating mode uniquely associated with the received digital signal.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling a sorting machine ( 1 ) comprising a plurality of carriages ( 2 ), each carriage ( 2 ) comprising a loading-unloading device ( 3 ) which rotates and which can be selectively activated for loading-unloading an object (O) from the carriage ( 2 ) and an electronic unit ( 4 ) configured to receive and analyse a digital signal ( 20 ), the sorting machine ( 1 ) being configured and controlled (a) so that the sorting machine can operate at two different speeds, that is, at a first operating speed and at a second operating speed which is higher than the first operating speed, and (b) so that each carriage ( 2 ) moves in a sorting direction (X) at a first velocity when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the first operating speed and moves in the sorting direction (X) at a second velocity when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the second operating speed, said second velocity being higher than said first velocity;
 the method comprising the steps of:
 moving the carriage ( 2 ) along the sorting direction (X) having a plurality of loading stations ( 9 ) and a plurality of unloading stations ( 10 ) each comprising respective inductors ( 11 ); 
 generating through the inductors ( 11 ) a magnetic field with a variable frequency modulating the digital signal ( 20 ) uniquely associated with an operating mode selected from the group consisting of loading the carriage and unloading the carriage, the digital signal ( 20 ) comprising a bit string; the digital signal ( 20 ) including a command; 
 transmitting, by electromagnetic induction, the digital signal ( 20 ) to the electronic unit ( 4 ) of the carriage ( 2 ); 
 receiving the digital signal ( 20 ) at the electronic unit ( 4 ); and 
 executing the command, including activating the loading-unloading device ( 3 ) according to the selected operating mode uniquely associated with the received digital signal ( 20 ); 
 
 wherein, when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the first operating speed, a first time delay is provided to provide a delay between the receiving of the digital signal ( 20 ) and the execution of the command to adjust and provide for timely loading or unloading of the object (O) by the loading-unloading device ( 3 ); 
 wherein, when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the second operating speed, a time delay which is less than the first time delay or which is zero, is provided between the receiving of the digital signal ( 20 ) and the execution of the command to adjust and provide for timely loading or unloading of the object (O) by the loading-unloading device ( 3 ). 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bit string comprises 24 bits. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising a step of modulating the frequency of the magnetic field to determine a logic state of the bits of the digital signal ( 20 ). 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the frequency of the magnetic field associated with a logic state ‘0’ is between 3 kHz and 8 kHz, and the frequency of the magnetic field associated with a logic state ‘1’ is between 47 kHz and 53 kHz. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the frequency of the magnetic field associated with the logic state ‘0’ is equal to 5 kHz, and the frequency of the magnetic field associated with the logic state ‘1’ is equal to 50 kHz. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal ( 20 ) consists of a train of rectangular pulses ( 22 ) of duration of between 2 ms and 3 ms, and wherein each pulse is separate from an adjacent pulse by a pause time of between 1 ms and 2 ms. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising a step of reversing a transfer direction of the digital signal to transmit a digital signal from the electronic unit ( 4 ) of the carriage ( 2 ) to the plurality of loading ( 9 ) or unloading ( 10 ) stations. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal ( 20 ) is modulated by means of a frequency-shift keying modulating diagram. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal ( 20 ) consists of a train of rectangular pulses ( 22 ) of duration of 2.4 ms, and wherein each pulse is separate from an adjacent pulse by a pause time of 1.5 ms. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal ( 20 ) consists of a train of rectangular pulses ( 22 ) of duration of greater than 2 ms, and wherein each pulse is separate from an adjacent pulse by a pause time of greater than 1 ms. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each carriage ( 2 ) has a length of between 700 mm and 900 mm. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the loading-unloading device ( 3 ) comprises a conveyor belt which rotates. 
     
     
       13. A sorting machine comprising a plurality of carriages ( 2 ), each carriage ( 2 ) comprising:
 a loading-unloading device ( 3 ) which rotates and which can be selectively activated for loading-unloading an object (O) from the carriage ( 2 ); 
 an electronic unit ( 4 ) configured to receive and analyse a digital signal ( 20 ) comprising a bit string and actuating the loading-unloading device ( 3 ) as a function of an operating mode selected from the group consisting of loading the carriage and unloading the carriage; 
 wherein the sorting machine ( 1 ) is configured and arranged (a) so that the sorting machine can operate at two different speeds, that is, at a first operating speed and at a second operating speed which is higher than the first operating speed, and (b) so that each carriage ( 2 ) moves in a sorting direction (X) at a first velocity when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the first operating speed and moves in the sorting direction (X) at a second velocity when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the second operating speed, said second velocity being higher than said first velocity; 
 wherein the sorting machine ( 1 ) is configured and arranged to operate according to a method comprising the steps of: 
 moving the carriage ( 2 ) along the sorting direction (X) having a plurality of loading stations ( 9 ) and a plurality of unloading stations ( 10 ) each comprising respective inductors ( 11 ); 
 generating through the inductors ( 11 ) a magnetic field with a variable frequency modulating the digital signal ( 20 ) uniquely associated with an operating mode selected from the group consisting of loading the carriage and unloading the carriage, the digital signal ( 20 ) comprising a bit string; the digital signal ( 20 ) including a command; 
 transmitting, by electromagnetic induction, the digital signal ( 20 ) to the electronic unit ( 4 ) of the carriage ( 2 ); 
 receiving the digital signal ( 20 ) at the electronic unit ( 4 ); and 
 executing the command, including activating the loading-unloading device ( 3 ) according to the selected operating mode uniquely associated with the received digital signal ( 20 ); 
 wherein, when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the first operating speed, a first time delay is provided to provide a delay between the receiving of the digital signal ( 20 ) and the execution of the command to adjust and provide for timely loading or unloading of the object (O) by the loading-unloading device ( 3 ); 
 wherein, when the sorting machine ( 1 ) is operating at the second operating speed, a time delay which is less than the first time delay or which is zero, is provided between the receiving of the digital signal ( 20 ) and the execution of the command to adjust and provide for timely loading or unloading of the object (O) by the loading-unloading device ( 3 ). 
 
     
     
       14. The sorting machine according to  claim 13 , comprising a plurality of loading stations ( 9 ) and a plurality of unloading stations ( 10 ) positioned along the sorting direction (X), each station ( 9 ,  10 ) comprising respective inductors ( 11 ) designed to generate a magnetic field with a variable frequency modulating the digital signal ( 20 ). 
     
     
       15. The sorting machine according to  claim 14 , wherein the inductors ( 11 ) are configured for generating magnetic fields with a frequency of between 3 kHz and 55 kHz. 
     
     
       16. The sorting machine according to  claim 13 , wherein the loading-unloading device ( 3 ) comprises a conveyor belt which rotates. 
     
     
       17. The sorting machine according to  claim 13 , wherein the electronic unit ( 4 ) is configured to generate a magnetic field with a variable frequency modulating the digital signal ( 20 ) and each loading ( 9 ) or unloading ( 10 ) station is configured to receive and analyse the digital signal ( 20 ) comprising a bit string.